Broken Bridges
by Sable Supernova
Summary: James made a big mistake when he followed through on Sirius' dare, but maybe, just maybe, someone else would be able to provide him with the answers.


Written for Hopscotch at Hogwarts, for:

"Dammit that hurt!" (dialogue), James/Lily (pairing), laughter (word), "You remind me of snow. I hate snow." (dialogue), "Don't you dare" (dialogue)

Also written for The Many Options Challenge at HPFC, for the following:

Character: James Potter

Title: Broken Bridges

Sentence: "People are both Hell and Heaven, dear, and it's up to us which we want to meet."

Two of: Prompts: Kitchen, eggs, water, cloth, book, stone, prank, livid, paper, yellow

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Words: 1094

Warnings for: Explicit language, black humour and non-Politically Correct comments, all from Marlene. Please take her character with a pinch of salt.

* * *

 **Broken Bridges**

It had started with a prank. James had begun to think every story they told started with a prank. This prank, even he had to admit, was one of Sirius' better ones. When James walked into the Great Hall that morning, all eyes were on him. He would have appreciated it, if not for the reason why. His hair had turned a particularly violent shade of white blonde, his eyes were the brightest blue and his skin was almost translucent. Albino James took his usual seat at the Gryffindor table, doing his best to act nonchalant about the whole thing.

Remus was the first one to giggle, and soon the whole room was filled with laughter, excepting the teachers and the Slytherins.

"James, you're white," Peter remarked, and James shrugged.

"I know. I was yesterday, too."

"No, I mean, really white. Your hair is white," Peter clarified.

James said nothing.

"Is there a new Aryan regime? I didn't get the memo," Marlene commented, with her usual dry, black humour.

"Too far, Marls," Lily admonished her friend with a shake of her head.

Lily. Whenever he was reminded of her presence, James' day naturally brightened.

"What do you think, Lilykins?" James asked with a grin.

She seemed to consider him for a moment, before saying, "You remind me of snow. I hate snow."

As she turned away, James slumped in his seat a little.

* * *

Next, it had been a dare. The game had started innocently enough, but, as always, Sirius upped the stakes.

"I dare you to kiss Lily," he'd said with a smirk, and James immediately protested.

"I can't! She'd kill me!" he commented. They both knew it was true.

"Your forfeit is Snivellus," Sirius added, knowing that would seal the deal.

"I hate you," James said.

"I know."

* * *

It was on their rounds that he plunged, knowing he wouldn't have a better opportunity.

"You know, we might be perfectly compatible kissers," he commented after a moment's silence.

"I'd still rather kiss the Squid," she replied with a sigh.

"But how do you know that unless you've tried?" he asked. She turned to look at him, and she must have caught a gleam of something in his eyes, because she immediately grew wary.

"You wouldn't," she said.

"I have to." He had the decency to look guilty, at least.

"Don't you dare!" she shouted, her temper flying off the handle.

"It's a dare," he said with a grimace.

She began to back away, but James was fast. He leant forward to plant a chaste kiss on her lips before jumping away from her.

When her fist connected with his stomach, he couldn't say he was surprised.

Doubling over, winded, he managed to choke out, "Dammit, that hurt!" before looking up to catch a glimpse of a retreating figure.

* * *

She'd been avoiding him for a week now, and James hated it. He'd had it coming, of course, and Sirius was taking the brunt of his sour mood. Needing to get away, James headed out to the Quidditch pitch the following Sunday after dinner. He wanted to come up with a plan, a solid plan, to win back Lily's trust. He just didn't know where to begin.

"So, you finally worked out that sexual harassment isn't how you get the girl?" a voice, Marlene's, came from his right as she sat herself down.

James looked up, seeing her hazel eyes glancing over the Quidditch pitch as she took a packet of cigarettes from her pocket. She offered them to him, and he gladly took one.

"I knew that already," he said after breathing out his first drag.

"Then why'd you do it, you twat?" she asked with a snort as she leant forward, crossing her legs.

"Because I've always turned into a dick around her. Why stop now?" he retorted with a shrug.

"Don't go all moody on me, please, I can't stand all that teenage angst shit."

James just sighed, knowing that what she was saying was true. Moping around wouldn't get him anywhere.

"I just don't know how to fix things," he admitted.

"Look," she began. "People are both Hell and Heaven, dear, and it's up to us which we want to meet."

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked.

"It means that you've chosen to see Heaven in her, but she's chosen to see Hell in you. Because she's chosen that, she gives you Hell in return. And then you get all moody and desperate, and you fight fire with fire," she explained, as if it all made perfect sense.

"I still don't know how that's supposed to help me. You might as well have compared us to egg and paper," he replied in dulcet tones.

"How dense are you?" she asked. "You need to stop showing her your Hell. Stop pretending you think you're the dog's bollocks. Stop being such a child about the whole thing. Show her your Heaven instead."

"You make it sound easy," he replied.

"It is. Think of it this way. Your relationship is a river, water under a bridge. Some bridges are crap. Some are solid, Victorian beasts with whole streets on top of them. You need to break the crap ones and build the strong ones. If you want her to love you, build bridges strong enough to carry the weight of it all."

James had to concede it, Marlene was one strange girl, but she was smart.

"Why weren't you a Ravenclaw?" he asked after a few moments' silence.

"Because smart girls don't get wild," she replied with a smirk.

James grimaced at the insinuations, but didn't comment. Instead, he said, "You know what, that makes sense. Yeah. I think I have a plan."

Marlene smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Well, that's my good deed done for the day," she commented, before standing to leave.

Before she left, James called out, "What about your love life? Is that not in need of fixing?"

"Nope," she replied without looking back.

"Still not admitting you want Sirius?" he asked with a grin.

She immediately turned to face him.

"I don't want to touch that idiot with a barge pole. I've already said I don't do teenage angst and that boy's so riddled with it makes me want to puke," she argued, looking satisfied with herself.

James continued to grin. "You sound like Lily," he said.

Her eyes widened in shock as her ears turned pink besides her ponytail and she turned to leave, somewhat quickly, letting James have the last word.


End file.
